Diary of two mad authors….

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Archive | September 2014

Have we got some thought provoking, tongue waging, argument fueling info to share with you today! Check out the following article. Three shooters, not one, proven to have fired on JFK that darkest day over fifty years ago.

Special treat today! We have the privilege of showing you the cover reveal of Donna’s first book, The Snake Pit: Jr High Can be Torture!! Woot!!

The Snake Pit: Jr High Can be Torture is an important piece of work because of its content and subject matter. It’s not an easy, fun read, but it is a book that every student, teacher and child advocate should read. Donna is very passionate to do what she can to stop bullying in the school system and MKSP has joined her in her quest. Here is the story behind the story:

Donna Dillon published her first book in October 2010. When Master Koda Select Publishing approached her with a publishing contract, she took the opportunity in hopes to expand her reach and build her brand.

What led you to publish your work with MKSP? I can write, but I suck at marketing. Kim and her team had some definite ideas about how we could get The Snake Pit books moving. It was a no-brainer for me.

How has it felt being with a publisher compared to doing it all on your own? I have never been a loner. I much prefer being part of a team, so, so far, it has felt pretty good!

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Together, Donna and Master Koda Select Publishing will be re-releasing her first novel today with updated editing and a fresh new cover. Woot!!

Nice job on the cover MKSP and Donna!!

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Donna, why did you write this book?

Cinda, the character in my book, The Snake Pit, was born with a cleft palate, and so was I. The things that happen in the book are fiction, but how she felt was exactly how I felt growing up. Being bullied for something you can’t possibly help, or change, is horrible. I chose to turn it into something positive, but many bullied children do not. I’m 47 years old now. I can still hear the bullies voice in my head. But, the thing I remember the most, the thing that bothers me the most: the silence from those who just stood by and let it happen, and did nothing to stop it. That is why I wrote this book.

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Author Bio:

Hello everyone! I am Donna Dillon: Author, Illustrator, and M&M connoisseur. I am the author of 5 and 1/4 books thus far. I have been writing in the young adult genre with The Snake Pit and Return to the Snake Pit which both deal with bullying in the public schools, and the children’s genre with Why Did It Have to Rain Today? and My Special Christmas Child. My new book is a leap into the thriller/suspense genre so I’m anxious to finish and see how that goes. All of my books, with the exception of the Christmas book will be discounted for this event, which I will be hosting for an hour on Saturday starting at 3 pm central time. I look forward to seeing you all there!!

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Fun facts about Donna:

Five things people might not know about Donna

5 things about myself that few people know:

I can ride a unicycle.

I can write as fast backwards as I can forward.

I once played Miss Mona is a stage production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

I can’t breathe through my nose and I have never had a sense of smell. I can taste, though, don’t ask me why, it’s a mystery.

When I was 22 I was flown out to Hollywood and made a make up commercial for Victoria Jackson cosmetics that you can still catch on TV late at night. I also met Johnny Depp and had my picture taken with Heavy D on that same trip.

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The Snake Pit: Jr. High can be Torture Synopsis:

Cinda doesn’t look like other twelve-year-old girls. A facial defect, and the surgery to correct it has left her face scarred and disfigured. When she walks into Hargrove Junior High for the first time, Cinda knows the other kids won’t see how smart she is, or what a good friend she could be. The other kids will see her as a monster, and her life will be torture.

The school cafeteria, or The Snake Pit, as the kids call it, is the prime location for bullying. One pretty girl in particular takes an instant dislike to Cinda. Day after day she is pushed, tripped, and laughed at. Not all the other kids bully her, but only one tries to help.

Charlene Carsten is Cinda’s only friend. She tries to stop the bullying, but the other kids won’t listen. She tries to tell the Principal, but he only sees what he wants to. She tries to tell the teachers, but they all say the same thing, “kids will be kids.”

When Cinda falls victim to a vicious prank at a school dance, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of everyone involved.

We have a special treat today. Author and speaker Karen Magill is in the house!! Woot!! She has some exciting news to share with us too. Her life experience has been anything but easy and Karen is starting a new business to help others going through life changing events.

Award Winning Author Shows The Way To Success

When Karen Magill was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and forced to leave the best job she’s ever had, she thought her future was over. But fourteen years later, Ms. Magill is an award-winning author with five published books, including On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success, the story of her journey with MS.

Now Ms. Magill is ready to help others reach their goals after a life-changing event, which has disrupted their plans for the future. Or, in some cases, destroyed those goals. She wants to assist people in taking the proper steps to ensure they can live a full life whether they have a chronic illness, are permanently injured from an accident, or are just having difficulty getting their live together.

Go to www.karenmagill.com and click on the yellow door to learn more. Enter a world where someone is there for you and will help you reach the seemingly unattainable goals.

For interviews or more information, Ms Magill can be reached at email address: karenmagill@karenmagill.com or by telephone: 604-255-8214

Forced to leave the workforce in 2000 by the onslaught of MS, Karen saw this as an opportunity to explore her lifelong desire to write. In February of 2014, Karen independently published an inspiring story of her journey so far with MS entitled On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success.

Ms. Magill believes that anything is possible and when she writes fiction, she leans towards the paranormal. She writes about extrasensory powers as if they are commonplace because, in her mind, we are all capable of those gifts.

To date, Ms. Magill is the author of four published paranormal novels, including the award-winning The Bond, A Paranormal Love Story.

Karen lives in an eclectic area of Vancouver Canada and draws inspiration from the history and stories around her.

A personal note from Karen Magill:

Have you gone through a life-changing event such as being diagnosed with a chronic illness or being permanently injured in an accident? Are the plans you made for your future now in shreds? Do you envision the years ahead as being bleak and dismal? If so, I can help.

I’ve been there. In June of 2000, I was working for the Canadian federal government. It was the best job I had ever had – I was making good money with annual raises, I had benefits and there was room for advancement. Then the unthinkable happened. I woke partially paralysed on one side of my body, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and forced to go on disability. I thought my life was over, I saw myself sitting alone in my one bedroom apartment watching television, my MS getting worse, until the day I died.

That’s not what happened though. Today, I am an award-winning novelist with four novels and one non-fiction book published. I have had one of my books looked at by movie producers. I write a popular blog on Vancouver history and I am starting a new career as a motivational speaker and author.

Now I want to help others reach their goals and improve their lives. I want to help you. You will even get a copy of my book On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success.

Karen is a true friend. She works selflessly to help others. You can trust her and rely on her discretion. If you are in need of some hope, we encourage you to get Karen’s book “On The Right Side” and to give her a call or send an email. You won’t be disappointed. You can email her at karenmagill@karenmagill.com or see her website at www.karenmagill.com